When it comes to tennis, Wimbledon is as big as it gets. The oldest tournament in the history of the sport and also the most prestigious, players usually have one goal, to triumph here or at least play on Centre Court.
However, a handful of them did more than that. They became intertwined with the legend of the tournament due to their repeated triumphs. Their dominance remains unparalleled even today.
While Ivan Lendl popularized the saying, “Grass is for cows”, the following players proved that grass is for GOATs. Here’s a look at the most successful seven players in the history of Wimbledon in the Open Era:
#5. Venus Williams (5 titles)
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Williams defended her title the following year and came quite close to winning the title in 2002 and 2003 but lost to her sister in the final on each occasion. She captured her third title in 2005, saving a championship point against Davenport in the longest women's final in history at the grass court Major.
The American was back in the winner's circle once again in 2007. She claimed her fifth and final title with a successful title defense in 2008. Her quest for a third successive title went bust with a loss to her sister in the 2009 final. She reached another final in 2017, losing to Garbine Muguruza. Her final tally stands at five titles from nine finals, with a 90-19 record.
#4. Pete Sampras and Novak Djokovic (7 titles each)
After a slow start to his Wimbledon journey, Sampras quickly became a force to be reckoned with. He couldn't clear the first hurdle on his first couple of attempts and only made the second round in the third appearance. He posted his best result on his fourth try by reaching the semifinals in 1992.
Sampras dominated the tournament after that. Between 1993 and 2000, he was crowned as the champion seven times. A quarterfinal loss in 1996 was the only blemish on his otherwise stellar record. He surpassed Bjorn Borg's record of five titles with his 1999 victory and extended it with his triumph in 2000. He won seven titles from 14 appearances at the venue, with an impressive 63-7 record.
Djokovic had some consistent results at the start of his career at Wimbledon. However, it was only in 2011 that he managed to capture his first title at the All England Club by beating defending champion Rafael Nadal in the final. After a two-year gap, he reigned supreme once again in 2014 and 2015.
Following another two-year break, Djokovic went on a tear at the venue. He won four consecutive titles starting from 2018 until 2022 (the 2020 edition was canceled due to the pandemic). His reign came to an end in 2023 with a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. He lost to his younger rival once again in the 2024 final.
The Serb has won seven titles from 10 finals. He could add another to his tally this year. He's also likely to surpass a century of match wins at Wimbledon. He currently has a 97-12 record at the venue, and since he hasn't lost prior to the final since 2018, he has a good chance of crossing 100 wins.
#3. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams (7 titles each)
Graf captured her first title at Wimbledon during her historic 1988 season, during which she completed the calendar Golden Slam. She brought an end to six-time defending champion Martina Navratilova's reign by beating her in the final. It was a rematch of the final from a year ago, in which the German came out on the losing end.
Graf beat Navratilova once again in the 1989 final to defend her crown. She bagged three titles in a row from 1991 but suffered a first-round exit in 1994. It marked the first time a defending champion lost in the opening round of a Major. However, she bounced back by winning back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996. With seven titles and a 74-7 record, she's one of the greats to step foot on Centre Court.
Williams beat her sister Venus Williams, the two-time defending champion, to secure her first Wimbledon title in 2002. She got the better of her sibling once again in the 2003 final. She was stunned by Maria Sharapova in the 2004 showdown for the title.
It wasn't until 2009 that Williams laid her hands on the Venus Rosewater Dish yet again and defended her title the next year as well. She claimed her fifth title in 2012 and won back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016, bringing her final tally to seven. Her victory in 2016 also tied Graf's record of 22 Major titles.
Aside from her seven titles in singles, with a 98-14 record, Williams also won her Olympic gold medal at Wimbledon. The All England Club hosted the tennis events at the London Olympics 2012, with the American completing a career Golden Slam with her victory. She also won six doubles titles with her sister here, making her one of the most accomplished players in the history of the tournament.
#2. Roger Federer (eight titles)
Federer clinched his maiden Major title at Wimbledon 2003, and kept on winning until 2007. He came achingly close to a record sixth consecutive title but came up short against Nadal in the epic 2008 final, considered to be one of the greatest matches to be ever played.
Federer added a sixth title to his resume in 2009 and tied Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon titles with his victory in 2012. However, he didn't win a Major title for four years after that. Many thought his best days were behind him, though he proved the naysayers wrong.
The Swiss ace had a renaissance in 2017. He captured his first Major title in nearly five years at the Australian Open that year. Fans hoped for an encore at Wimbledon and he didn't disappoint, clinching his record eighth title. A ninth title was within his grasp but he squandered two championship points against Djokovic in the 2019 final.
Despite the agonizing loss in his most recent Wimbledon final, Federer remains the most successful man in the history of the tournament. He capped off his career with eight titles and an impressive 105-14 record.
#1. Martina Navratilova (nine titles)
Navratilova had her Major breakthrough at Wimbledon, winning her first two titles here in 1978 and 1979. After a dry spell of two years, she reigned supreme between 1982 and 1987, winning six consecutive titles. Graf brought an end to her lengthy reign by beating her in the 1988 final and once again in the 1989 final.
Navratilova set a new record with her ninth Wimbledon title in 1990, her final Major title as well. She had a shot at securing a 10th title too but Conchita Martinez played spoilsport and beat her in the 1994 final. Nevertheless, with nine titles and an amazing 120-14 record, she's the queen of Wimbledon.
Additionally, Navratilova also won six titles in women's doubles and another four in mixed doubles. She was 46 years old when she won her most recent title, the 2003 mixed doubles, cementing her status as the best player in the history of Wimbledon.
